Shoe donner apparatus and method.

ABSTRACT

A shoe donner device includes a platform holding one or both shoes, already tied, made ready for donning without having to reach down to floor level. The readied shoe donner includes a shoehorn removably inserted into each shoe, and tongue clips removably inserted over the tip of each shoe tongue and pulling it slightly upward and forward. The platform is tilted to facilitate the seated user&#39;s insertion of foot partway into shoe, and can be rocked back and forth. Pulling on reachable cords exerts strong forward push of shoehorn against foot heels, driving the feet fully into the tied shoes. Pulling shoehorns and tongue clips free with reachable strings or a hooked stick releases the shod feet, ready for the day.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the field of providing hardware to assist mobility-challenged people in clothing themselves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The aging population presents a growing problem of assisting more and more millions of people in such everyday tasks as putting on shoes. That task is especially troublesome for all who can no longer reach down to floor level, including the disabled in general and the wheelchair-bound in particular.

Devising shoe donning aids has proven difficult. Probably the most effective aid has been the simplest and oldest, the shoehorn; “schoying homes” were mentioned in England in the 1400s (Wikipedia). Making them with long handles has been a big improvement. While “boot jack” aids for removing shoes have been devised (e.g. Sardis Thomson's Boot Jack patent, U.S. Pat. No. 8,865,1852), new shoe donner art has simply featured extensions of the shoehorn, idea. In US patent application 2002/0008124, Runge teaches a foot guide of slippery, flexible material which fits over the back of the shoe and down and forward into the shoe to form an internal “chute”. Johann Leitner, EP 1496766 25 Mar. 2003, priority date 25 Apr. 2002, achieves that effect for boots, building in more rigidity and heel guidance to the shoehorn portion. At least one product uses a box-like platform to hold the shoe steady, again with a shoehorn-like guide at the heel. (Patent not found. Product described in http://ketteringsurgical.co.uk/shop/rehabilitation/dressing-aids/brace-and-shoe-donner-18329.htm.) The use of these and other shoe donner aids, like their shoehorn antecedents, presumes that the shoe be untied and the tongue pulled up out of the way to facilitate foot entry; the user must use leg control to push the foot in; the shoe then has to be tied, generally requiring bending down to reach floor level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved shoe donner apparatus and method to enable a user to don a shoe even if seated, is unable to reach down to the shoe, and generally even if the shoe is already fastened adequately for wearing. These objectives are achieved by the present invention, a shoe donner apparatus that includes a platform of length and width greater than the subject shoe, the platform having a crosspiece over a first end against which the back of the shoe's heel is placed, and a toe clamp adjustably attached to be set against the front of the toe of the shoe. A pivot member of triangular cross section is hinge-affixed to the underside of the platform, crosswise, preferably about halfway along the platform forward from the first end of the platform, the ridge of the pivot supporting the shoe donner platform so that at rest the platform preferably slopes upward toward the front at an angle of about fifteen degrees from the horizontal, while the platform remains free to be tilted forward on the pivot to the horizontal and further tilted downward toward the front. In a first embodiment of the invention, an elongate, springy bar stands upright at the first end of the platform, the base of the bar being set into the crosspiece halfway across the width of the platform, from which point the springy bar extends upward behind and well above the back of the shoe. A slippery surfaced shoehorn is mounted slidingly on the springy bar, vertically adjustable and removable, so that its lower end can be set partway down into the heel of the shoe, the shoehorn then extending upward and rearward behind and if above the back of the shoe to its attachment point on the slippery bar. A crossbar is attached to the upright springy bar, behind and near the top of the shoehorn but not connected to it, the crossbar reaching horizontally across the width of the platform below it. A sidewall is attached along each long side of the platform, each sidewall supporting a pulley positioned at crossbar height and preferably about a quarter of the length of the platform forward from the first end of the platform. A strong cord (“donner cord”) is attached to each end of the crossbar, from which each donner cord extends horizontally forward to and around the underside of each pulley and thence upward where both donner cords are preferably attached to form one loop which can be readily grasped by the user. Upward pull on the donner cord loop pulls the crossbar forward while the pull on the donner cord loop also pulls up on the back of the shoe donner. Notches in each sidewall hold a cord (“tongue cord”), crossing from one sidewall to the other, above and forward of the exposed tip of the shoe tongue, to which tongue cord is attached a tongue clip shapeable to clasp the exposed tip of the shoe tongue, the tongue cord being adjustable in tension to pull upward on the the tongue clip and thus pull the shoe tongue slightly upward even though the shoe is already tied. The tongue clip has a slippery underside to reduce friction on the instep of the foot being driven into the shoe. A string (“release string”) is attached to one end of the tongue cord and extended upward to where the release string can be grasped to pull the tongue clip off and out of the way once the shoe is donned, and a second release string is similarly arranged from the top of the shoehorn to enable its extraction from the shoe. The shoehorn, tongue clip and toe clamp may be formed of metal, strong plastic or fiber-plastic composites, while the body of the shoe donner may preferably be formed of wood fiber composites, plywoods or metal.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shoe donner is widened and refitted to accommodate a pair of shoes, side by side, so that both shoes can be made ready in advance for donning. The springy bar and crosspiece of the first embodiment are replaced by a single strong plate (“driver plate”) hinge-attached across the first end of the widened platform, the driver plate supporting two shoehorns adjustably fixed ready for insertion into the shoes. The sidewalls are replaced by one center wall between the shoes, eliminating sidewall interference with moving the foot in from the side to insert it in the shoe. The center wall supports a first pulley, from which the donner cord runs rearward and around a second pulley attached behind the top of the driver plate, the donner cord then running forward again to the center wall, providing a mechanical advantage of two. As before, the donner cord extends upward from the first pulley to a reachable height, whereby the user's upward pull now drives the driver plate and both shoehorns forward. The center wall has a vertical extension high enough that each tongue clip can be strung on a single tongue cord which, being adjustably held at the top of the center wall, can pull near-vertically upward on the tongue clip.

These and other details and usage aspects of the invention will be better understood with reference to the drawings and detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment and FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the shoe donner, here fixed horizontally for ease of drawing.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shoe donner, now poised at an angle to facilitate usage, and showing also a shoe made ready for donning and wearing, and a foot poised ready for full insertion into the shoe.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred two-shoe donner embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment 1 of the shoe donner invention, with a dashed outline indicating a shoe on the shoe dormer's platform 2. A crosspiece 2 a supports the back of the shoe, while a long slot 2 b in the platform 2 enables a toe clamp 3 to be adjusted lightly against the shoe's toe so that 2 a and 3 restrain the shoe firmly against horizontal movement while also presenting adequate restraint against vertical movement. A tall springy bar 4 rises from the crosspiece 2 a to a position behind and above the shoe's heel. A crossbar 5 is affixed to the back of the springy bar 4, near its top. (Much of this and the following is better understood with reference to FIG. 2.) Donner cords are fastened to the ends of the crossbar 5 and run forward from there to pass around the bottom of pulleys 5 b (which could simply be slippery knobs, more durable than pulleys). The donner cords 5 a are kept in place by a clip or pin 5 c. From there, the donner cords 5 a extend vertically to a higher elevation (not shown) where they can be grasped and pulled upward to pull forward the springy bar 4 and so push forward the shoehorn 6. Sidewalls 7 serve two purposes, the first being to support the pulleys 5 b and the second to enable the use of a tongue clip 8, wherewith the clip 8 is attached to a cord 8 a, the cord ending adjustably in a tab 8 b. The cord 8 a is shown with only one end secured to a slot 8 c in a top edge of one sidewall 7, the clip 8 not yet installed. (The hole in tab 8 b enables release of the tongue clip 8 when shoe donning is complete, by using a hook on a long stick.) Similarly the shoehorn 6 could be topped with such a hole to enable pulling it up out of the heel.) The dashed line 9 indicates the position of a pivot member underneath the platform 2, as more completely shown in FIG. 2, and the dashed outline 10 shows the front end position of an optional floor piece extending forward from under the pivot member 9.

FIG. 2 may best be understood by picturing the user seated, as in a wheelchair. The shoe donner 1 is shown readied (preparation is described later), with shoe S in place and foot being inserted. The shoehorn 6 has been adjusted down inside the shoe's heel. A release string 6 a is shown fastened to the shoehorn 6 and extends upward to a reachable position to enable pulling out the shoehorn 6 after donning. The tongue clip 8 (dashed line) has been slipped over the tip of the shoe's tongue, with its cord 8 a stretched across the shoe from the near sidewall 7 to the far sidewall and secured there by its tab 8 b′ in a slot 8 c. Another release string, 8 d, will be used to pull off the tongue clip 8, as also discussed later. The pivot member 9 is hinge-attached under the platform 2, supporting the shoe donner 1 at an angle facilitating foot insertion. Letting the shoe donner 1 rock forward as the foot is driven in, or rock forward and backward, helps the donning action.

The preferred floor plate 10 can rest on the floor F with its front end against a wall (not shown) to keep the shoe donner 1 from sliding during foot insertion. A full length mirror on the wall enables a user in a chair or wheelchair to see the foot and shoe donner 1, very helpfully.

Referring further to FIG. 2, the strong donner cords 5 a are being pulled upward, thereby pulling the crossbar 5 forward to push the shoehorn 6 forward against the back of the foot's heel (dashed outline). The sketch FIG. 2 shows one improvement over the embodiment shown in FIG. 1: the user's forward push on the shoehorn 6 is doubled by running the donner cord 5 a around a second pulley 5 d and then back to attachment on the sidewalls 7—a partial “block and tackle” arrangement. The upward pull on the donner cords 5 a also tries to raise the back of the shoe donner 1, as is discussed below. The foot is pushed strongly forward into the shoe, the top of the foot sliding under the tongue of the shoe, aided by the tongue clip 8 which is holding the tongue tip up and resisting its fold-under tendencies, and reducing sliding friction of shoe tongue against foot instep.

In trials, the shoe donning operation succeeds with common shoes tied in advance, albeit not too snugly tied. Donning some shoes (notably the “slip on” loafer types, but more) may not even need the use of the tongue clip 8. However, some shoes cannot be donned if tied, including some “hook and loop” Velcro™ strapped shoes favoured especially by older and handicapped people. In such a case the shoe can be set ready with strap open, allowing the tongue clip 8 to pull the tongue area well up to enable donning. Then, the user can ideally close the strap well enough (trials are showing) by use of a pincer-equipped long stick—preferably a modified version of the simple hook-ended stick noted earlier.

Some users might be unable to press the foot down strongly enough to keep the shoe donner 1 from rocking forward too much, or even lifting off the floor, as the donner cords 5 a are pulled upward. Accordingly, the donner cords 5 a may be made long enough, and joined as one, that a seated user could first lean forward and loop the donner cord over their head and thence around the back of their neck or upper back. Then the user simply sits up straight to pull up on the looped donner cord 5 a—able to pull more strongly in that manner—while holding the leg down near the knee with hand or forearm.

Referring again to FIG. 2, removing the shod foot from the shoe donner 1 is enabled by pulling the shoehorn 6 out of the shoe's heel and off the springy bar 4, using the long release string 6 a, and using the long release string 8 d to pull the tab 8 b out of the slot 8 c so that the cord 8 a pulls the tongue clip 8 off of the shoe tongue and clear of the shoe. The user can then lift the shod foot out of the shoe donner, lifting first at the heel where the crosspiece 2 a offers little vertical resistance. Some seated users may have to hand-lift their leg under the knee. When the shod foot is freed, everything's done.

(Having a peg in the wall, just above the floor—or simply using the bottom frame of the aforementioned mirror—enables placing the front of the floor plate 10 under same so that removing the shod foot does not lift the shoe donner 1 off the floor—although limited trials showed no such problem).

Preparation: A preferred method of readying the shoe for donning in advance is now described, wherewith the user does not have to reach down to floor level. The shoe donner 1 is lifted onto a bed or other usably elevated plane by means of the donner cords 5 a (reachably hung following prior usage). On the bed, the shoe S is set in the shoe donner 1 and fitted in all details as was discussed and shown in FIG. 2. The readied shoe donner 1 is then lowered to the floor, again using the donner cords 5 a, and is adjusted by foot so that its floor plate 10 is preferably against a wall as described above. The top part of the donner cords 5 a is again hung on the wall, together with the release strings 6 a and 8 d, all at a reachable height for the user when seated ready for donning. (The top ends of the donner cords 5 a may be joined into one and pre-hung on the wall at chair height, perhaps on one handle or loop, ready for grabbing. The release strings 6 a and 8 d may also be attached to that one handle or loop, hanging slackly at the ready.) FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the shoe donner 1. It is very advantageous to place and make ready both shoes in advance, in one operation, say the night before, much as just described. Having two individual shoe donners would allow that, but better to have the two-shoe donner 1 of FIG. 3. Costs are reduced: one central wall, 7′, and one set of pulleys 5 b and 5 d replace the four sidewalls and four sets of pulleys of two one-shoe donners. The anchor points 8 c′ enable the tongue cords 8 a′ to pull forward and upward on the tongue clips 8. The widened floor plate 10 placed against a wall improves stability. Replacing the springy bars and crossbar of FIGS. 1 and 2, a driver plate 11 is hinge-attached across the first end of the platform 2, extending upwards to about double the height of the shoe heel and supporting two adjustable and removable shoehorns 6. Here, elastomer foam pieces 2 a′ and 3′a are shown as aids securing the shoes against sideways and vertical movement. This shoe donner 1 enables the user to drive both feet into shoes at once, but driving one foot at a time may be easier for many. (Inserting and driving just one foot imposes a twisting force on the driver plate 11, but its stiffness and wide base can adequately minimize twist.) Release strings 6 a of can then remove the shoehorns 6, pulling them out of the slots 11 b and out of the donned shoes. In this FIG. 3 sketch, the tongue clips are shown fitted with rings 8 b′ to allow their removal by a hook-ended stick, rather than strings, much as noted regarding FIG. 1.

In trials, the shoe donning operation succeeds with common shoes tied in advance, albeit not too snugly tied. Donning some shoes (notably the “slip on” loafer types, but more) do not even need the use of the tongue clip 8. However, some shoes cannot be donned if tied, and this includes some “hook and loop” Velcro® strapped shoes favoured especially by older and handicapped people. In such a case the shoe can be set ready with strap open, allowing the tongue clip 8 to pull the tongue area well up. With foot shod and removed from the shoe donner 1, the strap can be closed adequately by use of the same hooked-ended stick as noted above (not shown). In a further improvement (also not shown), the driver plate 11 can initially be slanted further back to lower its height to ease foot insertion, wherewith the shoehorn 6′ would be made in a “telescoping” fashion to reach forward over the top of the shoe heel.

Trials also show a problem with some very flexible shoes with soft soles: Holding the shoe at the toe may be insufficient to avoid crumpling of the shoe as the tongue clip 8 is pulled forward. Accordingly. (not shown) improvements are being considered at the shoe heel to lock the shoe in place there, and/or to heighten the curb 2 a to just above the back of the shoe and top the curb with a small slippery plate extending barely ahead of the back of the shoe and bendable slightly down to hold the top of the back of the shoe, removably. The “shoehorn” piece 6′ is shortened so as to push forward over this slippery plate, not protruding down into the shoe heel but simply driving the foot heel forward sufficiently to allow it to slip over this slippery plate and down into the shoe.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims. The pulleys could simply be slippery knobs or grooves, for example, improving cost and durability. The pull mechanism could be changed to a push mechanism, and either could be motorized to make the shoe donner even more broadly helpful. 

We claim:
 1. An apparatus for enabling a user to don a shoe even if the user is unable to reach down to the shoe, and generally even if the shoe is already fastened for wearing, the apparatus comprising: a rectangular platform of length and width greater than the shoe, the platform having a crosspiece over a first end against which the back of the shoe heel can be placed, and a toe clamp adjustably attached near the opposite end of the platform, which toe clamp can be fixed against the front of the toe of the shoe to hold the shoe against horizontal movement and restrain the toe of the shoe against vertical movement as well; a pivot member hinge-affixed to the underside of the platform, crosswise, preferably about halfway forward from the first end of the of the platform, so that the platform at rest slopes upward toward the front to facilitate placing foot in shoe, while remaining free to be tilted forward and back to facilitate full insertion; an elongate, springy bar standing upright at the first end of the platform, the base of the bar being set into the crosspiece halfway across the width of the platform, from which point the springy bar extends upward behind and well above the the back of the shoe; a slippery surfaced shoehorn mounted slidingly on the springy bar, vertically adjustable and removable, so that its lower end can be set partway down into the heel of the shoe, the shoehorn extending upward behind and above the back of the shoe; a crossbar attached to the upright springy bar, behind the shoehorn but not connected to it, the crossbar reaching horizontally across the width of the platform below it; a sidewall attached along each long side of the platform, the length of the sidewall reaching forward to the shoe tongue position and its height being appreciably higher than the shoe tongue; a pulley affixed to each sidewall at crossbar height and preferably about a quarter of the length of the platform forward from the first end of the platform, each pulley being aligned to accomodate a donner cord as follows; a donner cord attached to each end of the crossbar, from which point each donner cord extends horizontally forward to pass around the underside of each pulley and thence upward to where each donner cord can be readily grasped by the user; notches atop each sidewall holding a cord crossing from one sidewall to the other, above the exposed tip of the shoe tongue, to which cord is attached a tongue clip shapeable to clasp the exposed tip of the shoe tongue, the cord being adjustable in tension to pull upward on the the tongue clip and thus pull the shoe tongue upward even though the shoe is already tied, and the tongue clip having a slippery underside; a release string or long stick wherewith the user can pull the tongue clip off the shoe tongue; a release string or long stick wherewith the user can pull the shoehorn out of the shoe heel.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second pulley is provided on each end of the crossbar, horizontally across from the pulley or knob mounted on each sidewall, with the donner cord passing around the second pulley or knob and back to the sidewall in order to double the forward push on the user's heel as the donner cord is pulled upward, without increasing the user's lift on the shoe donner.
 3. An apparatus for enabling a user to make ready and don both shoes in one operation, even if the user is unable to reach down to the shoes, and generally even if they are already fastened for wearing, the apparatus comprising: a rectangular platform of length and width greater than two shoes, the platform having a crosspiece over a first end against which the back of both shoe heels can be placed, and a toe clamp adjustably attached near the opposite end of the platform which can be fixed against the front of the toes of both shoes to hold the shoes against horizontal movement and restrain against vertical movement as well; a pivot member hinge-affixed to the underside of the platform, crosswise, preferably about halfway forward from the first end of the of the platform, so that the platform at rest slopes upward toward the front to facilitate placing feet in shoes, while remaining free to be tilted forward and back to facilitate full insertion. a generally rectangular plate, a driver plate, having its bottom edge hinge-attached across the width of the first end of the platform, from which hinge-attached edge the plate extends upward behind and above the the back of the shoe; two slippery surfaced shoehorn mounted slidingly and removably on the front face of said driver plate so that the lower ends of the shoehorn can be set partway down into the heels of the shoes, the shoehorns then extending upward behind and above the backs of the shoes; a center wall attached along the platform between the two shoes, the length of the center wall reaching forward past the shoe tongue position and its height being above shoe height; a first pulley, affixed to the center wall and preferably about a quarter of the length of the platform forward from the first end of the platform, and at the height of the driver plate; a second pulley, mounted behind the middle of the upper edge of the driver plate, and having apertures through the driver plate directly forward of the top and bottom of the groove in the second pulley; a strong cord, the donner cord, attached to the center wall and extending back through the bottom aperture in the driver plate to the pass around the second pulley and forward through the top aperture, then extending horizontally forward to pass around the underside of the first pulley and thence upward to where each donner cord can be readily grasped by the user; tongue clips having a slippery underside and shapeable to clasp the exposed tip of each shoe tongue; two tongue cords adjustably hung from near the top of the forward end of the center wall, one tongue cord reaching down to hold the tongue clip on one shoe and the other to the other, each tongue cord angled sufficiently to pull the tongue clips forward and upward; release strings or a long stick wherewith the user can pull the tongue clip off each shoe tongue; release strings or a long stick wherewith the user can pull the shoehorns out of the shoe heels.
 4. A method for donning shoes, comprising: providing a shoe donning apparatus having a platform ready to hold the shoes between a fixed crosspiece behind the shoes' heels and an adjustable toe clamp against the shoes' toes; shoehorns slidingly affixed on a driver plate so that the shoehorns are ready to be removably inserted into the shoes' heels; a donner cord set ready to pull the driver plate and its shoehorns forward; tongue clips ready to be removably inserted on the tip of the shoe tongue and hung on tongue cords adjustably fixable to a center wall affixed to the platform between the shoes; lifting the apparatus onto a bed or other usably elevated plane by means of the reachably-hung donner cord, and there setting the shoes in the apparatus and securing them adequately by setting the back of the heels of the shoes against the crosspiece and adjusting and fastening the toe clamp against the fronts of the toes of the shoes; further preparing the shoes for donning by adjusting the shoehorns of the shoe donner down into the heel part of the shoes, securing the tongue clips onto the leading edge of the shoe tongues and adjusting the tongue cords so that the tongue clip pulls forward and upward on the shoe tongue; lowering the shoe-readied apparatus to a floor, preferably with the front of the apparatus against a wall which preferably has a mirror near the floor so that the user, seated in a wheelchair for example, can see lower legs and feet and the readied shoe donner; placing feet toe-first into the shoe with foot heels against the upper part of the shoehorns; pulling the shoehorns forward by means of the donner cords, driving the feet into the prepared shoes, rocking the shoe donner platform forward or back and forth to help the action; removing the shoehorn and tongue clip by pulling up a release string attached to each or by using a hook-ended stick, the shod feet thus being freed to be raised at the heels and removed from the shoe donner, ready for the day; hanging up the donner cord and release strings to be reachable for the next shoe donning. 